A Wider Net

Hitch Media offers an ingenious solution for exhibitors and event organizers to reach cell phone users. Using their own bluetooth transmitter, which they ship you for use on your event, they can beam advertisements to users with bluetooth phones within a range of 300 feet. Users must allow the download on their handset but it costs them nothing. In fact, the per-message transmit rate is also nothing.

Currently the system supports text, jpg’s, and video, although video is not supported by all phones. Also, due to Verizon’s stubborn restrictions on the supported bluetooth protocols on their phones, this system will not reach Verizon customers. It seems likely that Verizon will cave to consumer pressure to change that in the future. Most new phones already support bluetooth, and in the near future all cell phones will support bluetooth. In the meantime, this looks like a great way to grab attention.